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Joined: June 23 2015
Location: USA
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Points: 48
Topic: Prog albums of the year for the 70's Posted: July 07 2015 at 11:26
Just for grins, I looked at the "Big 6" prog groups in the 70's and charted their albums by year, looking at how they influenced one another. I ended up comparing their overall ratings in PA to pick an "album of the year". Results below.
1970 - Yes-Time and a Word, Genesis-Trespass, ELP-debut, KC-In The Wake of Poseidon & Lizard, PF-Atom Heart Mother, Tull-Benefit (winner: ELP debut album)
1971 - Yes-The Yes Album & Fragile, Genesis-Nursery Cryme, ELP-Tarkus & Pictures at an Exhibition, KC-Islands, PF-Meddle, Tull-Aqualung
(winner: Yes-Fragile)
1972 - Yes-Close to the Edge, Genesis-Foxtrot, ELP-Trilogy, PF-Obscured by Clouds, Tull-Thick as a Brick (winner: Yes-Close to the Edge)
1973 - Yes-Tales from Topographic Oceans, Genesis-Selling England by the Pound, ELP-Brain Salad Surgery, KC-Larks Tongues in Aspic, PF-Dark Side of the Moon, Tull-Passion Play (winner: Genesis-Selling England by the Pound)
1974 - Yes-Relayer, Genesis-The Lamb Lies Down on Boradway, KC-Starless and Bible Black & Red, Tull-Warchild (winner: KC-Red)
1975 - PF-Wish You Were Here, Tull-Minstrel in the Gallery (winner: PF-Wish You Were Here)
1976 - Genesis-A Trick of the Tail, Tull-Too Old to Rock'n'Roll (winner: Genesis-A Trick of the Tail)
1977 - Yes-Going for the One, Genesis-Wind & Wuthering, ELP-Works Vol I & II, PF-Animals, Tull-Songs from the Wood (winner: Tull-Songs from the Wood)
1978 - Yes-Tormato, Genesis-And Then There were Three, ELP-Love Beach, Tull-Heavy Horses (winner: Tull-Heavy Horses)
These were done to the composite album ratings of a couple of weeks ago, so some of the rankings may have changed as more people have reviewed/ranked the albums.
This paints an interesting picture from the progfans on PA. What do you think? Are these rankings and "albums of the year" accurate in your eyes? (I know there are plenty of other bands (VDGG, GG, Focus, PFM, etc) that also made great music in the 70's and you'll have your own favorites per year.
I agree with most of these, with the exception of 73 (I would have had to go with Dark Side due to its influence and popularity) and 74 (I would have gone with Yes-Relayer because it's such an awesome, ground-breaking album, no disrespect to KC-Red).
Joined: August 27 2006
Location: The Beach
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Posted: July 07 2015 at 11:51
That was interesting as I do enjoy my stats.
Hard to disagree with any of the results except for 77 and 78 but it's because i'm not really into Folk so i'd pick Animals for 77 and ... And Then There Were Three for 78.
Joined: July 07 2015
Location: Europe
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Points: 305
Posted: July 08 2015 at 04:40
In my opinion Gentle Giant's Free Hand is the most remarkable prog album from 1975, being followed by VdGG's Godbluff.
I also rate Trespass higher than the ELP debut, Nursery Cryme higher than Fragile, and Relayer higher than Red. There are incredibly good songs on Fragile and Red, but also rather weak tracks. Nevertheless, they're all great albums.
Joined: September 01 2010
Location: Sohar, Oman
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Points: 1399
Posted: July 08 2015 at 06:34
What is interesting is the latter half of the Seventies when the great 'simplification' began. On the group side alone, Works Vol. 1 wins 1977 (not to decry Tull's marvellous reinvention), by 1979 a non-prog album wins it against weakened opposition.
Joined: June 23 2015
Location: USA
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Points: 48
Posted: July 08 2015 at 09:19
Yeah, I was surprised when I first charted it out that the Big 6 quit making many albums at the end of the 70's. I know Yes did the solo album thing, KC and ELP went on hiatus after 74. Was it the anti-prog backlash caused by disco and punk that led to the big prog bands slacking off? Or record company pressures to make a hit single? Or did they just run out of steam after the brilliant flash of the early 70's?
Joined: September 01 2010
Location: Sohar, Oman
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Points: 1399
Posted: July 08 2015 at 09:28
I think it was a combination of all the above! Having lived through that period, prog was suddenly reviled. Back in those days, the music press were pretty powerful arbiters of taste (ironic that the last of these - the NME - will now be given away free) and from the punk explosion, these bands suffered. In some ways, because of the large fan base they kept going (Yes, Genesis, Tull, Floyd) but many other bands disappeared. For instance, the Canterbury scene was more or less wiped out by the end of the 70s or pushed to the margins of the jazz scene.
Joined: June 23 2015
Location: USA
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Points: 48
Posted: July 08 2015 at 10:24
Yeah, I lived thru those late 70's years as well...I still get a gag reflex whenever I hear a shred of a Bee Gee's song. It was great to be alive at a time when the popular music you heard on the radio was so good and the bands were exploring musical frontiers and none of them sounded alike! I consider myself very fortunate to have grown up during a time when there were no preconceptions as to what music should be and it was cool to be "progressive"!
Now, it's all about music-as-product and everybody tries to sound alike, what they think is going to be a "hit". The "artists" are now MTV-video star looks and who needs to sing in tune---there's always Auto-tune for that! Back then, I swear, popular musicians were really artists. You can still find them now, but they're indie/alternate bands that have to fly under the radar...
Joined: September 01 2010
Location: Sohar, Oman
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Points: 1399
Posted: July 09 2015 at 05:05
What comes through from the first post is that by 1975, the 'Big 6' had lost momentum... My favourite album of 1975 is actually Henry Cow's 'In Praise of Learning' but happy to acknowledge that the Floyd still produced a great album with 'Wish You Were Here' that is certainly more 'popular'.
Joined: July 07 2015
Location: greece
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Points: 65
Posted: July 10 2015 at 03:54
As PrognosticMind said, I would also include Gentle Giant albums and my ratings would be, 1970- ELP debut alum 1971- Yes, Fragile 1972- Yes, CTTE 1973- PF, Dark side of the moon 1974- Gentle Giant, The power and the glory 1975- PF, Wish you were here 1976- Genesis, A trick of the tail 1977- PF, Animals 1978- Yes, Tormato 1979- PF, The wall (These are my personal raitings) So I preety much agree :)
Joined: March 16 2015
Location: Earth
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Points: 58
Posted: July 10 2015 at 06:19
1970 - Lizard? 1971 - Fragile 1972 - Close To The Edge (which is followed closely by Thick As A Brick) 1973 - Tough choice. Dark Side of The Moon wins. Selling England comes after it. 1974 - This color. 1975 - Wish You Were Here (I'll also add Scheherazade And Other Stories as my second place) 1976 - A Trick Of The Tail 1977 - Animals 1978 - Heavy Horses 1979 - The Wall
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Prog albums of the year for the 70's
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